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VICTORIAS MILLING CO., INC., G.R. No.

156962
Petitioner,
Present:
-versus- PUNO, C.J., Chairperson,
CARPIO,
AZCUNA,
LUIS J. PADILLA, REYES,* and
EMMANUEL S. DUTERTE, LEONARDO-DE CASTRO, JJ.
CARLOS TUPAS, JR., and
ROLANDO C. RODRIGUEZ, Promulgated:
Respondents. October 6, 2008
x-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------x
DECISION
CARPIO, J.:
The Case
This petition for review assails the 13 June 2002 Decision[1] and the 22 January
2003 Resolution[2] of the Court of Appeals in CA-G.R. SP No. 65895. The Court of
Appeals dismissed the petition for certiorari filed by petitioner on the grounds of
(1) lack of standing to prosecute the criminal cases for falsification of private
documents against respondents; (2) failure to attach the assailed order in the
petition for certiorari filed in the Regional Trial Court; and (3) late filing of the
petition for certiorari in the Regional Trial Court.
The Facts
The present controversy stemmed from a single complaint for falsification of
private documents filed by the Chief of Police [3] of the then Municipality
of Victorias against respondents Luis J. Padilla (Padilla), Emmanuel

S. Duterte (Duterte), Carlos Tupas, Jr. (Tupas), and Rolando C. Rodriguez


(Rodriguez). Docketed as Criminal Case No. 8069-V, the complaint reads:
COMPLAINT
The
undersigned,
Station
Commander, Victorias Police
Station, PNP Victorias, Negros Occidental, hereby accuses Luis J.
Padilla, Emmanuel S. Duterte, Carlos Tupas, Jr. and Rolando C.
Rodriguez of the crime of Violation of Article 172 Paragraph 2 of the
Revised Penal Code on Falsification of Private Documents committed as
follows:
That confederating, working and acting in conspiracy with one another
and with intent to cause damage to Victorias Milling Company
(VMC), Luis J. Padilla, Emmanuel S. Duterte, Carlos Tupas, Jr. and
Rolando C. Rodriguez on various dates and in various quantities during
the period from 21 January 1992 to 02 December 1996 committed the
crime
of
falsification
of
private
documents
in Victorias, Negros Occidental
by executing,
issuing
and
signing RSDOs (Refined Sugar Invoice/Delivery Orders) amounting to
THREE MILLION ONE HUNDRED FORTY TWO THOUSAND
SEVEN HUNDRED SIXTEEN (3,142,716) LKG, which are sugarless,
and executing, issuing and signing false certifications supporting
the RSDOs without securing the authority of the board of directors of
VMC, as shown in Annex A hereof.
Acts contrary to Law.[4] (Emphasis supplied)

On 6 November 1998, upon Motions to Quash the Complaint filed by several of


the respondents on the ground, among others, of duplicity of offenses, Municipal
Trial Court in Cities Judge Ricardo S. Real, Sr. (MTCC Judge) dismissed the
complaint and ordered the amendment of the complaint or the filing of another
information.[5]
Accordingly, on 13 November 1998, upon the conversion of the Municipality
of Victorias into a city,[6] City Prosecutor Adelaida R. Rendon filed sixty-four
(64) Informationsfor falsification[7] against respondents,[8] alleging conspiracy
among respondents in signing and using sugarless Refined Sugar Delivery Orders

(RSDOs) as collateral to obtain loans from five banks [9] in the total amounts of
US$15,274,956.40 and P692,322,644.86.
The MTCC Judge approved the issuance of Warrants of Arrest against respondents
only in the cases where they were the signatories of the sugarless RSDOs. Thus,
warrants of arrest were issued against Padilla in 47 cases only, against Duterte in
10 cases only, against Tupas in 6 cases only, and against Rodriguez in 1 case only.
On 14 January 1999, the prosecution filed a Motion to Defer Arraignment,
[10]
praying for the issuance of 64 warrants of arrest against each respondent
corresponding to the 64informations for falsification in view of the charge of
conspiracy.
In an Order of 7 April 1999,[11] the MTCC Judge denied the Motion to Defer
Arraignment, ruling that conspiracy had to be proved by the prosecution and
setting the cases for arraignment on 3 July 2000.
On 14 April 1999, the prosecution moved for reconsideration,[12] which the MTCC
Judge denied in his Order of 24 November 1999.[13] This order reads:

It must be stressed that although the affidavit of the prosecution is based


on personal knowledge, the same were not yet introduced, authenticated,
marked as exhibits and offered as evidence, consequently, it remained as
a worthless piece of evidence to establish even the circumstantial
evidence of conspiracy. During the preliminary investigation using the
sworn statement of the prosecution as part thereof is only to determine
that a probable cause exists that the crime as charged was committed and
that all the accused were probably guilty thereof and there is a necessity
to issue a warrant of arrest.
The theory of the City Prosecutor of Victorias to issue Sixty Four (64)
Warrants of Arrest to each accused as a result of the alleged conspiracy
is baseless. Each accused is only liable for eachRSDOs that they have
signed since the dictum that the act of one is the act of all no longer
stand [sic]. The High Court speaking thru Justice Davide, Jr. states:

Conspiracy, just like the crime itself, must be established by proof


beyond reasonable doubt and the Rule has always been that coconspirators are liable only for the acts done pursuant to the
conspiracy, for other acts done outside the contemplation of the
co-conspirators or which are not necessary and logical
consequence of the intended crime, only the actual perpetrators
are liable. In such a case, the dictum that the act of one is the act
of all does not hold true anymore. People versus Rodolfo Federico
y Mediona (G.R. No. 99840, August 14, 1995). [14] (Underscoring
in the original)

On 29 June 2000, the prosecution filed an Urgent Ex-Parte Motion[15] praying for
an ex-parte hearing for the presentation of evidence on its allegation of conspiracy.
On 3
July
2000,
during
the
scheduled
arraignment,
the
MTCC Judge impliedly denied the ex-parte motion, stating in open court that it is a
mere scrap of paper[16] and proceeded with the arraignment. Respondents,
except Tupas, were arraigned only on specific informations where their signatures
appeared in the RSDOs or certifications. Accordingly, Padilla pleaded not guilty to
46 cases,[17] Duterte pleaded not guilty to 10 cases, and Rodriguez pleaded not
guilty to 1 case only. Tupas, through his counsel, requested a deferment of his
arraignment.
On the same date, the MTCC Judge set the pre-trial of the case on 4 September
2000 and trial proper on 25 and 26 September, 23 and 24 October, and 27 and 28
November 2000. He also reset the arraignment of Tupas to 4 September 2000.
On 30 August 2000, petitioner filed with the Regional Trial Court (RTC)
of Negros Occidental a petition for certiorari and mandamus, docketed as Civil
Case Nos. 2133-40, against the MTCC Judge. [18] Petitioner prayed for the
nullification of the arraignment of the three respondents and for the issuance of a
writ of preliminary injunction to enjoin the MTCC Judge from further hearing the
cases.

On 31 August 2000, the RTC issued an Order setting the date of the hearing for the
preliminary injunction on 7 September 2000 and granting a temporary restraining
order.[19]
On 29 September 2000, petitioner filed an Amended Petition attaching the 24
November 1999 Order of the MTCC Judge, which had been inadvertently omitted
from the original Petition.
On 23 November 2000, the RTC issued an Order[20] denying the petition for
certiorari and mandamus on three grounds: 1) petitioner has no standing to file the
petition for certiorari; 2) the petition was incomplete in the narration of facts; and
3) the petition was filed beyond the prescribed period.
On 26 December 2000, petitioner filed a Motion for Reconsideration, which was
denied in the 25 May 2001 Order of the RTC.[21]
On 1 August 2001, petitioner filed a petition for certiorari with the Court of
Appeals challenging the 23 November 2000 and 25 May 2001 Orders of the RTC.
On 5 December 2001, the Court of Appeals issued a Resolution directing the
issuance of a temporary restraining order.[22]
On 12 December 2001, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) filed a
Manifestation and Motion (in Lieu of Comment) [23] asking that the People of the
Philippines be removed as a party respondent and be excused from filing a
comment to the petition considering that it was in conformity with the petition.
On 13 June 2002, the Court of Appeals rendered a Decision dismissing the petition.
On 1 July 2002, petitioner filed a Motion for Reconsideration, which was denied
by the Court of Appeals on 22 January 2003.
Hence, this petition.

The Ruling of the Court of Appeals

In dismissing the petition for certiorari, the Court of Appeals ruled that petitioner
has no personality to file the petition. The Court of Appeals stated that all criminal
actions either commenced by complaint or by information should be prosecuted
under the direction and control of the public prosecutor. In this case, petitioner did
not even acquire the conformity of the public prosecutor before filing the
petition. Petitioner was not also able to show that it suffered damages by reason of
the alleged criminal act committed byrespondents.
The Court of Appeals also found procedural lapses in petitioners filing of the
petition for certiorari before the RTC. Petitioner failed to attach the assailed orders
to its petition and filed the petition beyond the reglementary period. The Court of
Appeals opined that the 60-day period should start from the date of receipt of
the 24
November
1999 Order,
not
from 3
July
2000 when
the RTC impliedly denied the motion to conduct an ex-parte hearing. Hence,
the RTC did not commit grave abuse of discretion in dismissing the petition for
certiorari.

The Issues
Petitioner raises the following issues:
1. Whether the petition
the reglementary period;

for

certiorari

was

filed

within

2. Whether the petition for certiorari lacked the required vital


documents;
3. Whether petitioner has a legal personality to file a petition for
certiorari; and
4. Whether the issuance of a writ of mandamus directing the MTCC
Judge to conduct an ex-parte hearing on the allegation of conspiracy
is proper.

The Ruling of the Court


The petition is meritorious.
On the procedural issues
Petitioner contends that it seasonably filed on 30 August 2000 the petition for
certiorari with the RTC considering that it directly challenged the 3 July
2000 Orders issued by the MTCC, not the Orders dated 7 April 1999 and 24
November 1999. The prayer of the petition for certiorari filed in the RTC reads:
WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed of this Honorable Court that,
after hearing, judgment be rendered in favor of the petitioner and against
the respondents, directing the issuance of the writs of certiorari and
mandamus, setting aside the arraignment of the three (3) accused for
being null and void, and directing respondent judge through the writ of
mandamus to conduct first an ex-parte hearing to determine whether
warrants of arrest (shall) issue against all the accused in all the
criminal informations for falsification, with costs against the
respondents.
It is also prayed of this Honorable Court that after hearing, a writ of
preliminary injunction be likewise issued to enjoin respondent Judge
from further hearing the cases below and arraigning the accused
Carlos Tupas, Jr. until further orders from this Honorable Court;
that pending consideration of the issuance of the writ of preliminary
injunction, a temporary restraining order be issued forthwith to the same
effect.[24] (Emphasis supplied)

Under Section 4 of Rule 65,[25] the aggrieved party must file a petition for certiorari
within 60 days from notice of the assailed judgment, resolution or order.
As can be gleaned from the prayer of the petition for certiorari, petitioner was not
only assailing the implied denial of its ex-parte motion during the scheduled
arraignment on 3 July 2000. Petitioner was also challenging the legality of

respondents arraignment on specific informations only instead of on all the


64 informations. Since the arraignment of the three respondents was held on 3 July
2000, the 60-day period for filing a petition for certiorari questioning the legality
of the arraignment may be reckoned from that date.Therefore, the petition for
certiorari
filed
on 30
August
2000 was
filed
within
the reglementary period. Considering that petitioner is also objecting to the
arraignment of the respondents, then the attachment to the petition for certiorari of
the 3 July 2000 orders of the MTCC Judge and the transcript of the stenographic
notes taken on that date substantially complied with the requirement under the
Rules.
On petitioners personality to file a petition for certiorari
Contrary to the view of the Court of Appeals, petitioner has the personality to file a
petition for certiorari assailing the orders of the MTCC Judge.
In Paredes v. Gopengco,[26]which ruling was reiterated in People v. Calo, Jr.,[27] the
Court held that:
The non-joinder of the People in the action was x x x but a formality,
x x x and should not serve as a ground for dismissal of the action, by
virtue of the provisions of Rule 3, section 11, providing that parties may
be dropped or added by order of the Court on motion of any party or on
its own initiative at any stage of the action and on such terms as are
just. Furthermore, as offended party x x x, it cannot be gainsaid that
respondents have sufficient interest and personality as person(s)
aggrieved x x x to file the special civil action, under sections 1 and 2 of
Rule 65.

Moreover, it is basic in criminal law that the civil case is impliedly included in the
criminal case.[28] Therefore, private complainant, petitioner in this case, has
sufficient interest and personality in filing the petition for certiorari.
At any rate, the OSG fully adopted petitioners views, curing the perceived lack of
standing on the part of petitioner to assail the 3 July 2000 orders of the MTCC

Judge via a petition for certiorari. In its Manifestation and Motion (In Lieu of
Comment) filed with the Court of Appeals, the OSG explicitly stated that:
x x x it is in conformity with the instant petition [for certiorari], being on
all fours with the Rules of Court and pertinent jurisprudence. Hence, it
should be removed as party respondent, and excused from filing
comment on the petition.[29]

In its Manifestation and Motion filed before this Court, the OSG reiterated its
position that the petition for certiorari is correct.[30]
Further, it is not yet necessary to prove that petitioner suffered damages on account
of the falsification of the private documents in order for petitioner to have standing
to file a petition for certiorari. Intent to cause damage is a sufficient allegation of
damage for a charge of falsification of private documents.[31]

On the MTCC Judges failure to determine the existence of probable


cause against respondents
as conspirators in the crimes charged
The 64 separate informations filed with the Municipal Trial Court in Cities by City
Prosecutor Adelaida R. Rendon uniformly charge Padilla, Duterte, Tupas, and
Rodriguez ofconspiring in the falsification of 64 private documents consisting of
various RSDOs or certifications on different occasions with the intent to cause
damage to petitioner. In effect, each respondent is charged, as a co-conspirator,
with 64 counts of falsification of private documents.
At the time of the filing of the informations, the applicable provision was Section
9, Rule 112 of the 1985 Rules on Criminal Procedure, which covers cases not
falling under the original jurisdiction of the Regional Trial Courts nor covered by
the Rule on Summary Procedure.[32] No preliminary investigation is required in
such cases.[33]

In the course of the proceedings, Section 9 of Rule 112 was amended to read as
follows:
SEC. 8. Cases not requiring a preliminary investigation nor covered by
the Rule on Summary Procedure. -xxxx
(b) If the complaint or information is filed with the Municipal Trial
Court or Municipal Circuit Trial Court for an offense covered by this
section, the procedure in section 3(a) of this Rule shall be observed. If
within ten (10) days after the filing of the complaint or information, the
judge finds no probable cause after personally evaluating the evidence,
or after personally examining in writing and under oath the complainant
and his witnesses in the form of searching questions and answers, he
shall dismiss the same. He may, however, require the submission of
additional evidence, within ten (10) days from notice, to determine
further the existence of probable cause. If the judge still finds no
probable cause despite the additional evidence, he shall, within ten (10)
days from its submission or expiration of said period, dismiss the
case. When he finds probable cause, he shall issue a warrant of
arrest, or a commitment order if the accused had already been arrested,
and hold him for trial. However, if the judge is satisfied that there is no
necessity for placing the accused under custody, he may issue
summons instead of a warrant of arrest. (Emphasis supplied)

Whether under the old or new provision, the Rules applicable to this case are
substantially the same. The Rules essentially provide that if the MTCC
judge finds no probable cause against respondents, he shall dismiss the
complaint or information. Otherwise, he shall issue either warrants of arrest or
summonses, depending on the necessity to place the accused under custody.
In the present case, Padilla, Duterte, Tupas, and Rodriguez are charged in each
information as conspirators of falsifying 64 private documents. In other words,
whether respondents signed the falsified documents or not, they are alleged to have
conspired in making untruthful statements in such documents.

After the filing of the 64 informations for falsification of private documents by the
City Prosecutor, the MTCC Judge proceeded to the issuance of warrants of arrest
only against the signatories of the allegedly falsified documents and arraigned the
same respondents against whom warrants of arrest were issued. The MTCC Judge
opined that each respondent is liable only for the RSDO that he signed, citing the
case of People v. Federico, where this Court held that conspiracy, just like the
crime itself, must be established by proof beyond reasonable doubt. The MTCC
Judge also stated that the prosecutions evidence is worthless for not being marked
as exhibits and for not being authenticated.
The MTCC Judge is mistaken. He ruled out the existence of conspiracy based on a
wrong ground. At that stage of the proceedings, the MTCC Judge need not find
proof beyond reasonable doubt of the existence of conspiracy. He must only satisfy
himself whether there is probable cause or sufficient ground to hold each
respondent for trial as a co-conspirator. It is obviously absurd for the MTCC Judge
to require that conspiracy must be proved before conspiracy can be alleged in
the informations.
For the sake of the prosecution, which desires the punishment of the criminals
liable for the falsifications, and for the benefit of the respondents, who will
possibly face prosecution or conviction for the crimes charged, the MTCC Judge
should properly and clearly resolve whether there is probable cause against each
respondent as a co-conspirator for 64 counts of falsification of private documents.
The summary nature of the procedure under the Rules does not dispense with such
determination.
As stated above, Section 9 of Rule 112 was amended. Since remedial laws may be
given retroactive effect,[34] the Court orders the MTCC Judge to determine the
existence of probable cause against respondents as conspirators for the crimes
charged pursuant to the amended provision, specifically Section 8(b) of Rule 112
of the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure. Accordingly, if the MTCC judge
finds no probable cause against respondents as conspirators, he shall dismiss
the informations against the non-conspirators.He may, however, require the
submission of additional evidence, within ten (10) days from notice, to determine
further the existence of probable cause. If the MTCC Judge still finds no probable
cause despite the additional evidence, he shall, within ten (10) days from its

submission or expiration of said period, dismiss the informations against the nonconspirators. If there exists probable cause against each respondent as a coconspirator for 64 counts of falsification of private documents, then the MTCC
Judge shall issue either warrants of arrest, in addition to the arrest warrants already
issued, or summonses against respondents, depending on the necessity of placing
the accused under custody.Thereafter, the MTCC Judge should arraign each
respondent for 64 counts of falsification of private documents.
Concerning the arraignment of the respondents, the same is not void. If ever, the
eventual positive finding of the existence of probable cause against all respondents
as conspirators will only mean additional indictments for respondents. This finding
will not affect the arraignment of the respondents.
WHEREFORE, the Court GRANTS the petition. The Court orders Judge
Ricardo S. Real, Sr. or the Presiding Judge of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities
of Victorias City to determine whether there is probable cause against respondents
as conspirators in the crime of falsification of 64 private documents defined and
penalized under Article 172(1) in relation to Article 171(4) of the Revised Penal
Code in accordance with the procedure in Section 8(b) of Rule 112 of the Revised
Rules of Criminal Procedure.
SO ORDERED.

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